2022 RED RIBBON WINNER Wishing Shelf Awards
2022 BEST BOOK AWARD FINALIST for American Book Fest
2023 SPEAK UP TALK RADIO FIREBIRD BOOK AWARDS WINNER
"A compelling family drama. A RED RIBBON WINNER and highly recommended." - The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
"An often vivid family saga, centered on a satisfyingly complex matriarch." - Kirkus Reviews
"This book did an excellent job of teaching essential life lessons." - OnlineBookClub Review
"An original, thought-provoking, memorable and poignant story of healing from emotional injuries."
- MBR (MidWest Book Review) Small Press Book Watch General Fiction
There is nothing ordinary about the journey we take in life, or the people in it. A tale of starting over and an unforgettable odyssey of healing.
How We Healed follows Drunetta Brown, an oppressed black housewife desperate to escape her drunkard husband and small-town southern life. After fleeing with her youngest children to New York City in 1957, she finds unlikely friendship with Sister Rose, a church secretary, and Miss "Raycie" Rayceen, a boisterous bar singer. These women prove to be the right friends at the right time as they help Drunetta navigate her journey of self-discovery. With a determination uncharacteristic of her time, Drunetta ultimately learns what's worth sacrificing—and, more importantly, what isn't—to secure her place in a changing world.
